Adaptive equalizer devices are often used to equalize communication signals received within a network. For example, a router may include several communication ports that facilitate communication among computing devices within a network. In this example, each communication port may have an adaptive equalizer device that equalizes and/or conditions communication signals received via that communication port. The equalization properties of the adaptive equalizer device may be reconfigurable and/or controlled by the device's firmware.
Traditional network devices often include a different memory device for each adaptive equalizer device. For example, a traditional router may include a line card with 16 adaptive equalizer devices. In this example, each adaptive equalizer device may rely on a different Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only-Memory (EEPROM) device to store that device's firmware. Accordingly, the router's line card may include 16 EEPROM devices that store firmware for the 16 adaptive equalizer devices.
These memory devices, along with the corresponding conductive traces that provide electrical and/or communicative support, take up physical space on Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) within the network devices. Unfortunately, such physical space is often limited by certain design constraints (such as size, cost, and/or performance). Moreover, each memory device may add to the overall cost of the PCBs within the network devices and/or increase the amount of diagnostics and/or testing overhead needed to ensure that the PCBs are fully operational.
The instant disclosure, therefore, identifies and addresses a need for improved apparatuses, systems, and methods for initializing adaptive equalizer devices.